Gamecocks fall in overtime to Hokies, 86-83

COLUMBIA, S.C. –  Amari Hansberry scored 22 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, Ben Hammond added 16 points, and Virginia Tech took down South Carolina 86-83 in overtime on Tuesday night in an ACC/SEC Challenge matchup.

Hansberry (10 of 16 from the floor) picked up his fourth double-double of the season in 39 minutes of action. The overtime frame featured nine lead changes and five ties, and Virginia Tech took the lead for good as Hammond made a layup with 13 seconds on the clock.

The Hokies (7-2) led for most of the first half, opening on an 8-1 run and keeping pace the rest of the way. They took a 37-34 lead into halftime.

South Carolina took the lead late in the second half thanks to a 7-0 run, capped off by Mike Sharavjamts’ five-straight points. The game went to overtime tied at 70 after Hansberry made a layup with 2:43 remaining, and the teams couldn’t find a way to score in the final minutes.

Meechie Johnson paced the Gamecocks (5-3) with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, adding six rebounds. Elijah Strong also had 18 points (6-of-16 shooting).

The Hokies won their first game in the third edition of the ACC/SEC Challenge, losing to Auburn and Vanderbilt in 2023 and 2024, respectively. 

KEY STATS

• The Hokies outscored the Gamecocks in the paint, 54-30.
• Carolina generated a high number of open looks from behind the arc, but just 8-of-30 (26.7%) from 3-point territory.

NOTABLES

• Redshirt senior guard Meechie Johnson and junior forward Elijah Strong led the team with 18 points apiece. Johnson added six rebounds, two assists and a steal in 36 minutes of action. Strong added three rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes coming off the bench.
• Senior guard Mike Sharavjamts finished with 14 points, six rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. Sharavjamts, who leads the team in rebounds, has recorded double-digit scoring in six of the last seven games.
• Redshirt senior guard Kobe Knox scored 10 or more for the fourth time this season, finishing with 11 points. He added four assists, two rebounds, a block and a steal.
• Redshirt junior transfer forward Christ Essandoko scored a season high eight points off the bench in 10 minutes of action. He connected on a pair of 3-pointers in critical moments down the stretch for the the Gamecocks.
• Tonight was the first loss in the Lamont Paris era at South Carolina when the team scores 80 or more points. The Gamecocks entered the evening 16-0 under Paris when scoring 80 or more over the last four seasons.

UP NEXT

South Carolina remains home for the next two games, first facing Stetson (3-6) on Saturday. Tip is set for 2 p.m. (ET) on SEC Network+ with Dave Weinstein (pxp) and John Williams (analyst) on the call. The Gamecocks will then face The Citadel (2-6) the following Saturday at 7 p.m. Weinstein (pxp) and former Gamecock Stephen Clark (analyst) will be on the call for the SEC Network+ broadcast.